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MarkRomance
Reviews
The Great Gatsby (2013)
The Great Gatsby, a spectacular ravishment of amazing complex and beautiful story telling through visuals
I've now watched The Great Gatsby a total of three (3) times, one in 3D. Though there are plenty of harsh critic reviews for this film, an yes I said film and not movie, is because they are too focused on the length of the film and the complex story line and not understanding fully the range of the time period set.
The Great Gatsby is a touching tale of an interloper, person on the outside looking in from the perspective of a young coming yuppie. Truth be told it is another star crossed lovers tale of missed chance and opportunity and the lengths one goes to rewrite the past and mend the wounds felt for years. Like all tragedies, this film does no better in having hopes up. Staying true to the book, the characters lives all end tragic one way or another. The fond and curiousness felt by the main narrator Nick for the infamous Gatsby fuels the story along, intertwining the 'Golden Girl' Daisy; a minx'd bombshell villianized by her brut 'polo' playing husband, the ever unfaithful and racists Tom. Upon meeting Gatsby, Nick is enthralled by the complexities of Gatsby's demeanor and back story as well as enjoying the ever entertaining side to the secretive bachelor. The plot to re-win Daisy's heart and fulfill the empty void in Gatsby's broken and tired soul didn't come easy. Along the way the other challenges were both infidelities and the accidental murder of a mistress. After all of this, Nick is still recovering pierces of the Gatsby puzzle and figuring out ways to make complete sense of all events take place when in the end some gaps are left unfilled.
I enjoyed the intense performances by Leonardo Dicaprio and Tobey Maguire. Both playing cozily off one another and both gave superb vocal and facial workouts. I really liked the easiness of Carey Mulligan's character Daisy. She spoke eloquently enough to pull of the soft and rough tone of a 1920's wealthy east coast flapper gal. Joel Edgerton as Tom, what can I say? Born to play the role of a thick and broastic rich-mistress-having- know-it-all who can't stand to lose anything, not even a potential side sway with a beautiful actress.
All in all I enjoyed the film production value. Also I am sad that the film waited so long to be produced and released, but a little happy because it gave enough time to include Lana Del Rey to the film soundtrack and score. I enjoyed the film despite the critics. All I can say is reread the book and watch the film again and tell me that Baz Luhrmann didn't try to make an emotionally driven artistic masterpiece with great actors and amazing focus shots. I give this film 10/10, but that is my own opinion based on many different category factors.
I hope you enjoyed this review. Thank You.
Scream 4 (2011)
Just when you think you know the franchise that helped revitalize 'rules' in slasher flicks... a new one comes out that completely shatters that idea keeping you on your toes.
AMAZING!!!! As expected of course. One thing i will say, is the ending was a twist, i mean, i thought in the last film the person who killed was to change relations with Syd, to something less noticeable but actually it worked because i had an idea who it could have been, but i never expected ....
And the beginning kills..... well so not expected LOL.
With more characters, more blood, more scares and more motives than anything i could imagine, scream really hit the spot and gave me some great viewing. If they continue with the series, i just hope its better than i could ever ever imagine and not turn into a joke, because i would like to see REAL closure with Sydney and the many years of killers, deaths and screams.
I suggest you watch it! I promise you wont miss out or be disappointed.
Insidious (2010)
from a horror buff, i was taken on a roller-coaster horror thrill where i even covered my eyes!
WOOOH!
can i say it was good? it was crazy good.
So when the film opened i noticed that it was definitely a James Wan and Leigh Whannell collaboration. The camera movements, the dark sensibility of the scenes and fear factor. The opening remind me of hitcock and a little bit of f.w. murnau (nosferatu) with the music and the gritty INSIDIOUS in red.
I tried to brave throughout 87% of the film, but i ended up failing freaking out for the last 30 minutes....but that later.
Renai, Josh and their 3 children move into a new house. Life seems good but right away strange things start to happen. She wakes up, and her son eerily tells her he doesn't like his bed room.
As the film progressed, i realized that it was not just another haunted house film. I loved the twists and turns in the story, like moving from a large three story house, to a considerably small ranch styled home. Even though they had moved, the things Renai were seeing didn't go away. Finding out that the child was being haunted instead put me on edge "It's not the house that's haunted" wooh, that is scary. I loved the camera movements and the quick shot tricks and shadow/lighting contrasts helped the film become more scary during first person view.
After they find out the real reason things are wrong, the movie quickly sped up and before i knew it i was covering my eyes hoping for the best with these lovable and relatable characters. The film ended in a twist that reminded me of Dead Silence, mainly because of the woman in 19th century clothing. The twist was expected a bit, but i was shocked when at the only physical death and i was also left wondering what happened at the end when she turned around.
It was fun and scary. I really suggest you watch it, not just on my own review but the reviews before and after me, it was good.
Sucker Punch (2011)
::Warning Major Spoilers:: A good movie, great idea and a 4/5 star follow through. I would suggest you take a view of the film ::Warning Major Spoilers::
So, first of all i really enjoyed the film the film!
::Major Spoiler Alert::Major Spoiler Alert::Please Know Spoiler Alert::
It gave me a lot of what i wanted and more actually, starting with the silent cold open with Emily Browning singing a version of Sweet Dreams (are made of this) BTW the entire soundtrack i downloaded the night i got home from the movie, really great.
So the beginning was emotional. Though i did wish they added more scenes to explain more of the family life, more of the evil step father and more of the sisters as a family to make me really feel the pain baby-doll went through. After returning home, i found out after research that a lot of scenes were cut from the film, lets just hope that its in the directors cut DVD.
After the title is shown, the main character Baby-doll is taken to the mental hospital which unfolds an entire book of craziness. I really wanted a cleaner transition from reality to the sub-reality but i thought that the camera movements that went from baby-dolls blond hair was great, as it pans around to reveal another actress just acting out a scene. The cuts from sub-reality to fantasy-reality were really good, like the first one with baby-doll in the snow temple getting the first lesson from The Wise Man.
I did want more character development. I wanted to see more personality's of the characters blondie, rocket and amber after they were introduced, as i could already tell that sweet-pea was the tough girl and possible the oldest and baby-doll named after her looks. Madam Gorski was perfect, and actor Oscar Isaac was perfect as Blue, the controlling 'owner' of the girls and the main antagonist. Madam Gorski was a maternal, while blue the main obstacle that stands in their way to freedom.
What i loved about the movie is that it really did give me all the things i like in films: hot bodies, explosions, sultry moves, violence, pretty faces, blood, very short skirts, swords, dancers, fantasy, anime, pain and of course music.
One of my favorite parts was the music, but that is far too much for me to type about that, maybe in the soundtrack review.
With the CGI use, the film reminds me of some other great films the look similar: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Lovely Bones, of course 300 and Watchmen (two films which Director Zach Snyder also directed) It wasn't as tired as some CGI films can get, it was interesting to see the different scenes. I did want more scenery maybe a bit more color, i sort of took the fantasy-reality scenes where the girls have the 4 challenges, I took the settings as similar to levels, like in a video game. Each one was different and unique, with snow dojo, World War setting, castle with fire breathing dragon and futuristic city train. I felt like i was in a really really cool video game, that's another reason why i liked the film. It really gave me that 'anime' dream feel which i love so much.
The film ended in a way i thought was right... with an epilogue ending meant to be happy, though it was emotional and a little depressing; i thought it was honest.
The ending monologue against a black screen was not completely perfect but i realized i did like it.
If you like complex stories with hidden messages and crazy zany actions scenes with hot girls in skirts and lingerie carrying massive weapons of destruction then this movie is for you. I rather enjoyed it, so why wouldn't you??